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Jurassic Park Safari Tour
It is well known that Jurassic Park's main attraction was the infamous safari tour. And yet, this tour has never been completely displayed from beginning to end, since in the movie a severe storm hit before the tour could finish. Now, for the first time ever, I display my interpretation of the Jurassic Park safari in its entirety. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your tour of...JURASSIC PARK!!! Note: I am aware that I did not add or mention Velociraptor or Troodon on the tour, but I did not "forget" them. I left them out on purpose, because the idea is that due to their extremely dangerous nature, they were eradicated prior to the park's opening. Start (...several land cruisers scoot along an electronic trail through the jungle, with primitive-looking cycads and tree ferns dotting the road on both sides. Directly ahead are a pair of enormous wooden gates with six lit torches lining the sides, and along the top is written JURASSIC PARK in huge red letters...) Time...the ever-stretching road without a beginning or end. Join us for a trip back to when the road passed a young, primordial Earth, of which vast lizards ran with wild abandon. Welcome...to JURASSIC PARK!!! (...Jurassic Park theme plays as the gates open and the land cruisers pass through...) Stop 1: Dilophosaurus (...the land cruisers slow down as they approach a thickly-brushed patch of woodland. Several small, crested heads peek from the ferns, extending their frills and hissing aggressively at the vehicles as they approach...) If you look to your right you will see a herd of the first dinosaurs on our tour, called...Dilophosaurus. One of the earliest carnivores, we now know that Dilophosaurus is actually poisonous, spitting its venom at its prey causing blindness and eventually...paralysis. Making Dilophosaurus a beautiful but deadly addition...to Jurassic Park. (...you quickly roll your window up as one of the dilophosaurs spits a glob of venom in your direction...) Stop 2: Tyrannosaurus rex (...the land cruisers stop on the top of a hill overlooking a mixed region of plains and jungle. In the distance you can see the long necks of grazing brachiosaurs...) The mighty tyrannosaurs arose fairly late in dinosaur history. While dinosaurs as a whole ruled for 120 million years, tyrannosaurs lived for only about the last fifteen million. 45 feet long and 20 feet tall, with teeth the size of steak knives and powerful hind legs enabling it to propel itself after prey at acceptable speeds, Tyrannosaurus rex stalked the plains of North America and Asia throughout the final three million years of the Mesozoic. (...you watch the jungle below intently, but see nothing...) Hmm...our Tyrannosaurus doesn't seem to be showing up. We'll coax her with a treat! (...a tethered goat is dropped into the enclosure, bleating nervously. The ground begins to quiver, causing the goat to panic and stir on its tether. You see a huge shape moving steadily through the trees toward the goat. The shape pauses for a few minutes, and then pounces, revealing that the shape is a huge bipedal dinosaur with ferocious claws and teeth. The dinosaur bites the goat's back, breaking its spine, and then gobbles it up. You can hear the goat's bones crunching in the tyrannosaur's mouth as it feasts. After it finishes its meal, the T.rex raises its head, turns around, and lumbers back into the jungle...) Ladies and gentlemen! Tyrannosaurus rex! Stop 3: Triceratops (...your land cruiser passes through a large field on the edge of a wooded plain, where a herd of gigantic horned dinosaurs graze...) The dinosaurs you see before you are called Triceratops. The prehistoric equivalent of a bull, Triceratops is equipped with three long, sharp horns and a bony neck frill to give it protection from predators, such as the terrible Tyrannosaurus rex whom we have already met. Of course, our animals don't have to worry about predators here in Jurassic Park. Studies of our animals have shown that the frills lengthen with age, indicating that Torosaurus, previously believed to be a separate genus of ceratopsid, is actually the most mature form of Triceratops. Despite being herbivorous, our Triceratops can get quite ornery at times, so make sure your doors are locked and your windows are closed. We have a herd of seventeen individuals, and keep an eye out for our newest arrival here at the park, little Bakhita. Stop 4: Herrerasaurus (...you pass through a desert-like area with a stream running through the middle. The stream is dotted with lush trees, ferns and cycads. A pack of mid-sized bipedal dinosaurs with squarish heads and tiger-like stripes drink there...) We now meet the fearsome...Herrerasaurus. One of the earliest dinosaurs to evolve, Herrerasaurus lived at a time when dinosaurs were not yet the dominant animals on Earth, and were at the mercy of large, crocodile-like predators called rauisuchians. Named after Argentinian goat-herder Victorino Herrera, Herrerasaurus is a fearsome hunter capable of reaching speeds of over 30 miles per hour. They are also one of the only predators able to digest bone, something most predators usually leave behind. They are covered in striking tiger-like markings, which are principally used for camouflage. (...the land cruisers pass out of the desert, and back into the dense woodland region...) Stop 5: Gallimimus (...you arrive on an open plain, where many orange, ostrich-like dinosaurs graze and forage for insects...) These animals are called Gallimimus. Bearing a striking resemblance to a modern ostrich, Gallimimus is supportive of the theory that dinosaurs evolved into birds. Native to central Asia roughly 70 million years ago, Gallimimus occupied an ecological niche similar to the herd mammals of today such as antelopes and wildebeest. Unlike these animals however, Gallimimus will occasionally feed on insects as well as plant matter. They are capable of reaching speeds up to 50 miles per hour, making Gallimimus the real speedsters of...Jurassic Park. Stop 6: Parasaurolophus (...the land cruisers pass through a sparsely wooded plain, and the haunting calls of large dinosaurs echo throughout the area...) Next, we meet the beautiful Parasaurolophus. These duck-billed vegetarians are equipped with a unique crest that has been known to reach staggering proportions of up to six feet! In the past, paleontologists have come up with many theories as to what the use of this bizarre feature was. Some believed that it was used as a snorkel for when the animal was swimming, others felt that it was used as a weapon against predators and rivals. We now know that the animals use this wonderful crest for communication. The brightness of an animal's crest determines social status, while hollow tubes extending into the crest from beyond the nasal passage help the parasaurs to amplify their haunting, beautiful cries. Stop 7: Brachiosaurus (...you pass into an open plain, with a lake in the center. The plain is dotted only with a few small trees. As the trees begin to stir and twist, however, you realize that they are not trees at all, but the massive legs of a herd of gigantic dinosaurs...) This is the home of the massive Brachiosaurus. Weighing up to 52 tons, and reaching a staggering 43 feet in height, Brachiosaurus is one of the largest land animals ever to walk the earth. Despite their intimidating size, they are peaceful herbivores, using their long necks to reach the tender leaves at the tops of tall trees. Belonging to the sauropod group, brachiosaurs are unusual among the dinosaurs in this family, in the fact that their front legs are longer than their hind legs and they possess a small bump of a crest on the tops of their heads, where their nostrils are located. This crest is an acoustic chamber, used to amplify the haunting, whale-like songs of the animals. Brachiosaurus...Jurassic Park's gentle giant. Stop 8: Stegosaurus (...you pass into an open plain, dotted with wooded patches, and a large lake covers the center...) The next animals on our tour are called...Stegosaurus. One of the most famous dinosaurs, these lovable quadrupeds possess a double row of triangular plates down their backs. While it was once thought that these were used for defence, we now know that they are used to control the reptile's body temperature. Holding the plates toward the sun warms the animal up, while cool winds blowing around the plates help cool the creature down. Their tails are armed with four lethal spikes, used as weapons against fearsome predators such as Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus. (...as you drive away, you notice that several of the stegosaurs start following your car. You smile at the sight...) Stop 9: Pteranodon (...your car passes into a large aviary-like structure. Large birdlike reptiles soar on leathery wings above, and screech a greeting at you...) This is the Jurassic Park Aviary, home to our flock of Pteranodons. In order to see them, look up...as they belong to the pterosaur group, which means "flying reptile". Despite sharing some resemblances, pterosaurs are not birds, but a group of airborne reptiles closely related to dinosaurs. Like the modern albatross, Pteranodon spends most of its time gliding on the wind currents, seldom flapping its massive wings. The long crest on the back of the animal's head is believed to be used for ballast to support the massive beak as the creature soars over the vast oceans in search of sea-going prey. (...as you exit the aviary, a large door slides closed behind you to prevent the birds from escaping. You can still hear the animals' bloodcurdling shrieks even well afte the aviary is out of sight...) Stop 10: Proceratosaurus (...you enter a densely wooded jungle, where many small dinosaurs with little horns on their noses leap and snap after dragonflies and damselflies that fill the air...) These animals are called Proceratosaurus, so named for the tiny horns on their noses. Despite their diminutive stature and general docility, these little animals are destined for greatness. They are some of the earliest tyrannosauroids. In other words, they are the proud ancestors of Tyrannosaurus rex. Stop 11: Metriacanthosaurus (...as you cross into an open plain with a large area of jungle on one side, a ridge-backed carnivore about 30 feet long lumbers into the open and sniffs the air...) This impressive creature is called Metriacanthosaurus. Originally living in Europe during the Mid-Jurassic period, it is one of the earliest truly large carnivorous dinosaurs. The distinctive ridge on its back is reinforced with muscle, giving it considerable strength for tackling prey. While T.rex is the king of Jurassic Park, Metriacanthosaurus is the prince. (...like most predators, Metriacanthosaurus loves a moving target. Once you start driving away, the dinosaur starts chasing after your land cruiser. You contact the control room and tell them to speed your car up, so they do and eventually the Metriacanthosaurus abandons chase...) Stop 12: Baryonyx (...the land cruiser enters a swamp. As you ride along the murky ground, you spot a large dinosaur hunting for fish...) This is Baryonyx. A relatively recent addition to the fossil record, this unusual carnivore is one of the only dinosaurs known to be piscivorous, or fish-eating. As you can see, they have jaws similar to those of a crocodile for capturing large aquatic prey. The fish you may see them hunting now are called Lepidotes. Lepidotes went extinct along with the dinosaurs, but just as we have brought the ancient reptiles back from the dead, we have done the same with Lepidotes in order to please the very specialized Baryonyx here at Jurassic Park! Stop 13: Segisaurus (...you enter a woodland area filled with large conifer trees. There are numerous streams running through the area, all of them connected...) Last but certainly not least on our prehistoric safari is the swift Segisaurus. These agile predators are some of the earliest theropods. They have narrow skulls atop long thin necks, a specialization for plunging their heads down the burrows of small mammals, which are their primary prey. However, groups of them have been known to take on prey as large as the massive prosauropods that shared their environment. They are capable of reaching speeds more than 20 miles per hour, more than fast enough to catch up with their quarry. Finish (...the vehicles start to slow down as they approach the visitor centre once again...) This concludes our spectacular tour. Please enjoy the rest of your stay here at Jurassic Park, and don't leave without riding our terrifying Bone Shaker roller coaster, observing the park's Tylosaurus in her enormous underwater aquarium from the safety of our observation rotunda, and enjoying a meal at our three-star Cretaceous Cafe restaurant. Category:Biological Preserve Category:Locations Category:FanFiction Category:Ideas Category:Stories Category:Jurassic Park Fanon Wiki